Sleep
by alicat53
Summary: Pre-series. Iroh has trouble sleeping because of the troubling events that have recently occurred in his life. An unexpected person helps him in an unexpected way. Rated T for one graphic battle scene/description. REVIEWS are appreciated.


Disclaimer: I own nothing. Especially not Avatar: The Last Airbender, or the Avatar characters. They are far too amazing for me to come up with on my own.

Okay so here I am with yet ANOTHER Zuko and Iroh story. I think I'm addicted to these two… seriously. They're just plain adorable and I can't help but write another story about them!

So basically…this one takes place after Iroh returns home from his military mishap in Ba Sing Se and after the whole Fire Lord conspiracy thing with Ozai and Azulon and Ursa. So Iroh's going to be a little bit younger, a little bit thinner, and a little more troubled than he is in the show. Sorry if it seems OC for him to be upset or worried about something (since he's generally very carefree), I just felt that at that time in his life he probably would be doing some soul searching and might feel at least a _little_ depressed and lost.

Zuko is also younger (obviously) and I'd say he's about 9 or 10 or however old you thought he looked/seemed in the "Zuko Alone" episode.

I tried my best to keep Iroh and Zuko close to their characters in the actual show, so if anything seems OC, sorry! That definitely was not my intention.

ANY WAY………..enjoy!

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Iroh sighed loudly as he turned over onto his back and stretched his stout, muscular limbs as far as they would go across the top of his mattress. Lethargically, he opened his eyes and began staring up at the exquisitely carved wooden frame that formed a canopy over his bed.

"_So much for a goodnight's rest."_ He thought resentfully to himself.

Although he had all the amenities for decent night's sleep available to him (including a bed four times the size of an average man's, more pillows than he could keep track of, and all the calming tea he could ever drink), Iroh found it painfully ironic that he was able to rest more peacefully months ago when all he had was a small cot no thicker than his finger to sleep on and a misshapen, canvas tent that separated himself from the battle fields of Ba Sing Se.

Since his return home, Iroh had yet to experience a restful night of sleep.

He would usually toss and turn in his bed for hours on end, trapped in a state of semi-consciousness, tortured by the haunting memories of his recent past.

Iroh let out another sigh as he flipped over onto his side and began looking out the large window of his bedroom, gazing out at the stars and moon that illuminated the night sky.

Entranced by their silvery glow, Iroh's mind began to wander and sort through the events and images of late that clouded his mind. Events and images he only wished he could forget:

_The countless burned and battered bodies that littered the battlefield._

_The stench of scorched flesh and burning earth that filled the air. _

_The sight of his son's blood stained corpse lying amongst the other permanently disfigured bodies._

_The mysterious death of his father, whom he had once admired greatly._

_His brother's frightening rise to power._

_The mysterious disappearance of his sister-in-law._

_The dejected look he saw in his nephew's eyes when he returned home._

_The power-hungry look in his niece's._

Hours passed.

Iroh hardly noticed.

He could only concentrate on the painful memories that stung his heart like a poisonous dart.

Several more hours passed, and the stars and moon began to fade as the darkness gave way to light. The early morning sun caressed the sky with various shades of orange and pink, indicating the start of a new day.

Iroh mentally sighed, fully aware that his hopes for any sleep at all were in vain, now that sun had begun to rise.

He sat up in bed and turned his body to face the window he had been apathetically gazing through for the past few hours.

Planting his feet firmly on the ground as he hung his legs over the edge of the bed, Iroh came to the realization he forced himself to come to every morning since his return: Despite the fact he had experienced yet another sleepless night, the world, including the Fire Nation and the Royal City, would not care, nor would it show mercy on him.

Although the former prince had relinquished his position as a top general of the prestigious Fire Nation Army, he still had many royal duties to fulfill. There were meetings to attend, appearances to be made, paperwork to fill out, letters to write, consults to give- the list went on.

None of the tasks set before the old firebender seemed the least bit fulfilling or enjoyable to him, but they would at least serve as a distraction from the troubling thoughts that constantly loomed overhead.

So, with that taken into consideration, the aging man braced his hands on his knees and slowly stood to fully greet the new day (as well as fully realize the extent of his fatigue in the process of doing so). He began to take a step forward, but stopped in his tracks when his ears detected a faint noise coming from the ground below.

"Nnnnhhh…"

The sound was barely audible; not any louder than a whisper. But Iroh's trained ears surely heard it.

As he looked downward in the direction of the sound, Iroh noticed a small lump on the floor that hadn't been there the night before.

A slight smile found its way onto the older man's face as he realized what- or rather, who- the small lump was.

"Zuko." he whispered quietly to himself as he took a few small steps toward his nephew's sleeping form.

The little boy was curled onto his side, facing the bed. He wore only a pair of crimson pants that bunched up around his knees, and his hair was pulled up in its usual pony-tail fashion, with only a few shorter pieces falling onto the corners of his forehead. His amber eyes were closed in sleep and his cheeks were slightly flushed a rosy shade of pink. A small, faded red baby blanket with gold trim was draped over the boy's shoulders and upper back. He clutched the blanket tightly in his hands, which were drawn closely into his chest and placed under his chin.

Iroh figured Zuko had snuck into the room unnoticed at some point during the night while the old general was preoccupied with his thoughts.

Gazing down at the boy, Iroh sorted through the possible reasons that could explain why his nephew was sleeping on the floor of his Uncle's bedroom, instead of in his respective bed.

Iroh knew that Ursa's disappearance had had a profoundly devastative effect on the young boy, and reasoned that sleep disturbances were probably now commonplace for the troubled youngster.

Maybe Zuko had woken up from frightening nightmare, and sought comfort in being close to the only relative he knew would not scold him for such a display.

Or, perhaps, the boy was simply an insomniac like himself, and needed to escape the suffocating thoughts of hopelessness and despair that trapped themselves in his mind and consumed his heart after the sun went down.

Or, MAYBE, his nephew had woken up feeling lonely and isolated, haunted by his mother's disappearance, and simply wanted to know that he wasn't alone; that despite the fact he no longer had his mother, someone would still be there for him.

Suddenly Iroh was jolted from his musings by another soft grunt that came from the child below him.

He watched as his nephew shifted in his sleep and pulled the small blanket covering his shoulders closer to his chest, leaving his bare back and shoulders exposed in the process. The boy bunched the fabric up by his face, covering his mouth, and snuggled into the soft pile.

It did not take long, though, for the child's body to notice the sudden temperature change, and subsequently he began to shiver and tremble in his sleep.

Seeing this, Iroh smiled and knelt down beside Zuko. He scooped his nephew up into his arms, and then gently wrapped him in one of the warm blankets he grabbed from the bed.

Looking down at his nephew, the retired general chuckled quietly to himself as he felt Zuko gently nudge his head into his Uncle's arm a few times before falling back into a deep slumber.

Iroh continued to gaze fondly at the sleeping child he held in his arms and, strangely enough, began to feel calm and relaxed; a stark comparison to what he had been feeling hours ago.

Whatever the reason for his nephew's presence in his room at this odd hour, it didn't really seem to matter anymore, nor did the man's usual nightly troubles.

For the first time in months, Iroh didn't feel angry, or sorrowful, or bitter, or fearful, or overwhelmed, or hopeless.

Instead, he felt happy.

He felt happy, and he felt _needed_.

He felt the same as he did when he had held his own little boy in his arms so many years ago.

Looking down at his nephew, the older man felt a growing sense of hope within him. He felt as if he could conquer every evil that had ever existed in the world, and could destroy anything that stood in the way of justice.

He felt powerful, and protective, like a strong and mighty Saber-Tooth-Moose-Lion, towering over the enemy that threatened the life of its young. He felt as though he had a new purpose in his life, a new drive. He felt like a father again.

Iroh had always loved his nephew, but in that moment, the little boy contained within his grasp felt like more than just an extended relative he would see from time to time. He felt like a son, he felt like his own, like the second child he had never had, and although the old general knew this boy could never possibly replace his beloved Lu Ten, perhaps he could fill another spot in his heart and life, a spot as equally important as his own son's.

Several moments passed as Iroh reveled in his newfound hope and strength, and his nephew soon began to stir once more.

Slowly, Zuko's eyes fluttered open as he turned his head and tried to focus his vision on the face smiling down at him.

"Uh…Uncle?" Zuko said softly as he looked up at Iroh with sleepy, golden eyes.

Iroh grinned even wider at hearing his nephew's voice, which sounded all the more adorable when paired with the sight of him still clutching the faded baby blanket tightly in his hands.

"Shhh, Zuko. " Iroh whispered soothingly as he stroked the boy's hair. "Go back to sleep".

And with that, the child quickly fell into a quiet slumber once more, happy to oblige his Uncle.

Soon, Iroh found himself yawning as he methodically swayed side to side, watching the boy in his arms rest peacefully.

Several more large yawns followed, and, for the first time in recent memory, the retired general realized he actually felt…sleepy.

Not exhausted, not fatigued, not tired, but genuinely _sleepy_.

Iroh walked back over to his large bed, located in the middle of the room.

Gently, he laid Zuko down on the soft mattress and covered him up with another dark red blanket. He then followed suit and climbed into the warm, inviting bed next to his nephew.

Iroh sighed loudly as he turned over onto his back and stretched his stout, muscular limbs as far as they would go across the top of his mattress.

Placing his arm around the child beside him, Iroh pulled his nephew close and kissed the top of the boy's forehead.

"Goodnight, Prince Zuko." Iroh whispered, as he quietly drifted off to sleep.

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Well, I hope you liked it! I know I probably went a little overboard on the fluff, but I just couldn't help myself! I love these two guys so much and I think any father/son type bonding between them is always _**so**_ cute and priceless!

This was just kind of an idea I got after watching the part "The Chase" when Toph tells Iroh that maybe he should tell Zuko he needs him too. Just kind of got me thinking on the topic…

Anyway, hope I didn't waste your time or destroy your outlook on Avatar or life or anything.

**Reviews** are always appreciated, as well as **ideas** and **suggestions** for new stories or ways to improve my writing. I don't want to hassle anyone into writing reviews, **BUT** they do always make my day… ;)

Oh, and btw, I wasn't trying to be all "Michael Jackson-y" at the end. Just so you guys don't take it the wrong way or anything.


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